Hip hop is a vibrant cultural art form that Canadian public institutions need to embrace. Our aging institutions can get a new life by integrating hip hop with and into traditional art displays.
Music streaming services have stopped promoting R. Kelly as part of a crackdown on musician’s alleged conduct. But we should separate the art from the artist.
Hip-hop heads around the world are rejoicing over Kendrick Lamar’s win. But it’s been a tumultuous ride for a genre once derided as ‘pornographic filth.’
The current global dominance of Canadian music on today’s Billboard charts obscures the difficulties many early rap artists faced in garnering local support for this country’s hip hop music.
Pinching musical phrases and stylistic approaches has always been a part of art making and can be a respectful exchange. But shallow, ill-informed appropriation only perpetuates tired stereotypes.
Australian rapper Joelistics and producer James Mangohig bring their family histories to the stage through a breathtaking display of beats, raps and storytelling.
The recently deceased funk drummer Clyde Stubblefield created arguably the most sampled drum track in the history of popular music – but he rarely got the credit, or the payment, he deserved.
Music and politics have long been intertwined and political patronage can sometimes lead artists to self-censor. On the other hand, some musicians are just more interested in entertainment than politics.
The Avalanches’ legendary first album, Since I Left You, was a modern classic, built from more than 3500 music samples. Sixteen years on, they’re finally releasing a second one - but will it resonate in an age when everyone samples?